Caroline Arnold's Books
In 1997, with the publication of four new books, I celebrated my one hundredth book year. To commemorate this milestone I wrote an autobiography, in which I reflect on aspects of my life that have influenced my writing. This essay was published in the Something About the Author Autobiography Series, Vol. 23, pp. 25-43 (Gale, 1997)
Volume 228 of SATA (Something About the Author) Gale Publications, a reference book of children's book authors and illustrators, was published in July 2011. It includes a very thorough updated entry for me and my books, prepared by the SATA editors.
In 2022, with the publication of Planting a Garden in Room 6 I now have published 170 books.
I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my parents, who were social workers, and my three younger brothers. Most of my summers were spent at Camp Bovey, a small camp in northern Wisconsin, and it was there that I began to develop my love for nature and the out of doors. My memoir, Settlement House Girl, is a collection of essays about my growing up years connected to North East Neighborhood House in Minneapolis and at Camp Bovey. I went to Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where I majored in art and also studied English literature. I then went to the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, and received my M.A.in art.
I began writing books for children more than thirty years ago when my own children were small. Because I was trained as an artist, my plan was to write stories that I could illustrate myself, but as it turned out I have instead become primarily a writer. Many of my books are about natural science subjects and lend themselves to being illustrated with color photos. For the majority of these books I have collaborated with Richard Hewett, a professional photographer. With several of my other photographic books I have worked with my husband, Arthur Arnold and in a few books I have done my own photography. Most of my recent books are illustrated with art, both by other illustrators and myself. I use a cut paper collage technique.
I live in Los Angeles, California with my husband, Art, a scientist at UCLA. Our children, Jennifer and Matthew, are grown up. Both of them are married and we now have three grandchildren. (You can find pictures of me and my family in some of my older books.)
Although I mostly write non-fiction books for children, I occasionally write fiction. I have also tried my hand at writing for television and writing the text for interactive CD Roms. I have also written articles for adults about writing for children. My only book for adults is my memoir, Settlement House Girl.
For many years I taught in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension. I also travel to schools both in California and elsewhere in the country to talk about my books and what it is like to be a writer. In my spare time I like to play tennis, work in my garden, travel, watch movies, and spend time with my friends and family.
To hear a short audio on how to pronounce my name from TeachingBooks.com click here .
You can read more about my background in the biographical references listed below and at my blog Caroline Arnold Art and Books
- A Day and Night in the Forest (PictureWindow Books) 2015
- A Day and Night in the Desert (PictureWindow Books) 2015
- A Day and Night in the Rain Forest(PictureWindow Books) 2015
- A Day and Night on the Prairie (PictureWindow Books), 2015
- A Polar Bear's World (PictureWindow Books) 2010
- A Walrus' World (PictureWindow Books) 2010
- A Bald Eagle's World (PictureWindow Books) 2010
- A Moose's World (PictureWindow Books), 2010
- A Koala's World (PictureWindow Books) 2008
- A Kangaroo's World (PictureWindow Books) 2008
- A Wombat's World (PictureWindow Books) 2008
- A Platypus' World (PictureWindow Books), 2008
- A Panda's Whale's World (PictureWindow Books), 2006
- A Zebra's World (PictureWindow Books) 2006
- A Penguin's World (PictureWindow Books) 2006
- A Killer Whale's World (PictureWindow Books), 2006
- Who Is Bigger? Who Is Smaller? (Charlesbridge Books) 2004
- Who Has More? Who Has Fewer? (Charlesbridge Books) 2004
- The Biggest Living Thing (Carolrhoda Books), 1983
- Children's Gardens by Elizabeth Bremner and John Pusey (University of California Cooperative Extension), 1982
- Sun Fun (Franklin Watts), 1981
- Planting a Garden in Room 6 (Charlesbridge, 2022)
- Butterflies in Room 6 (Charlesbridge, 2019)
- Hatching Chicks in Room 6 (Charlesbridge, 2017)
- Uluru (Clarion, 2003)
- Easter Island (Clarion, 2000)
- Australian Animals (HarperCollins, 2000)
- South American Animals (Morrow Junior Books, 1999)
- African Animals (Morrow Junior Books, 1997)
- El Nino: Stormy Weather for People and Wildlife (Clarion, 1996)
- Uluru (Clarion, 2003)
- Stone Age Farmers Beside the Sea(Clarion, 1997)
- A Walk on the Great Barrier Reef (Carolrhoda Books, 1988)
- Rhino(Morrow Junior Books, 1995)
- Camel(Morrow Junior Books, 1992)
- Watching Desert Wildlife(Carolrhoda Books, 1994)
- Photos by Arthur Arnold appear in a number of other books by Caroline Arnold as well.
- Something About the Author, Volume 390, (Gale/Cengage Research Company)
- Something About the Author, Volume 294, (Gale/Cengage Research Company)
- Author Spotlight with Caroline Arnold, Charlesbridge Publishing 2012 www.charlesbridge.com, see Authors and Illustrators
- Author and Illustrator Biographies A Warmer World
- Something About the Author, Volume 228,(Gale Research Company, 2011)
- "Who Wrote That?", Interview by Patricia Newman, July 2011, in California Kids, click here or, to see it with pictures, click here and scroll to page 13.
- "Kathryn's Quiche Noel",All Because of Grace, Reflections and Recipes, edited by Jane Martellino,(Yes Grace Rocks, 2010)
- "On Writing Early Readers" and interview by Sheila Bender in the online writing magazine, Writing It Real, May 7, 2009.
- Interview on Childrens Book Radio, November 28, 2007 childrensbookradio.com, scroll down to episode #27 to listen to the webcast
- "The Puzzle of Books", article in Kite Tales LA/SCBWI, Summer 2008.
- Interview by Ann Stalcup, 2008, for California Readers click here.
- Interview by Tina Nichols Coury, June 26, 2007 www.tinanicholscouryblog.com, see Children's Book Authors and scroll down
- Author Spotlight with Caroline Arnold, Charlesbridge Publishing 2007 www.charlesbridge.com, see Authors and Illustrators
- Interview for Children's Book Guild Book Week Luncheon, www.childrensbookguild.org, September 2005.
- Quote in Ideas, Voice, Elaboration, and Organization by Lola Schaefer, Scholastic Professional Books, November 2005.
- Interview in Living Literature by Wendy C. Kasten, Janice V. Kristo, Amy A. McClure (Prentice Hall/Merrill) November 2004.
- "Caroline Arnold--Anasazi Bean Soup," in Authors in the Kitchen: Recipes, Stories and More by Sharron L. McElmeel, pp. 9-12, Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
- "The Sum of All Its Parts," Writing It Real, www.writingitreal.com, July 17, 2003.
- "Digging Up Facts With Caroline Arnold," in The ABC’s of Writing for Children by Liz Koehler Pentakoff, p. 97, Quill Driver Books, 2003.
- "Author Taps Children’s Interests to Teach Writing," by Lisa Liberman, Fresno Bee, Sunday, December 15, 2002.
- "Featured Illustrator: Caroline Arnold," The Sampler, Fall 2002, Children’s Literature Council of Southern California.
- "Curiouser and Curiouser," Classnotables, by Sarah Maxwell, The Grinnell Magazine, Spring 2002.
- "The Perfect Place to Write," in Kite Tales, Spring 2002, Vol. 13, No. 2, SCBWI Los Angeles.
- "Apple Macaroon," in A Taste of Literacy, compiled by Helen James, November 2000, California Reading Association, p. 105.
- "Facts to Inspire and Inform: Creating a Nonfiction Book," in From Inspiration to Publication, The Institute of Children’s Literature, 2000.
- "100 Most Popular Picture Book Authors and Illustrators," by Sharron McElmeel, Teacher Ideas Press, June 2000.
- "Open Minds: Nonfiction for the Very Young," by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch, Children's Writer, April 1999.
- "Writing a Photo Essay," Book Links, May 1998, pp. 56-60.
- Something About the Author, Autobiography Series, Vol. 23, (Gale Research Company, 1996)
- Something About the Author, Volume 85, pp. 19-25 (Gale Research Company, 1996)
- Something About the Author (Gale Research Company, 1995.)
- Seventh Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators (The H.W. Wilson Company, 1995.
- "Kids' Stuff," by Denise Lamphier-Hoffert, Grinnell Magazine, Winter 1994, pp. 18-21.
- Santa Monica Outlook newspaper, December 1991, pp. C1 and C3.
- Behind the Covers: Interviews With Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books, Jim Roginski, Editor, (Libraries Unlimited, Inc. 1989) pp. 28-40.
- Junior Library Guild Catalogue of New Books, October 1988-March 1989, p. 32.
- "Building Bridges With Words," by Marileta Robinson, Inside Highlights for Children, October 1988, No. 224, p. 3.
- Junior Library Guild Catalogue of New Books, April-September 1987, p.33.
The Kerlan Collection, the children's literature research collection at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, has manuscripts and related materials for the following books by Caroline Arnold. Titles marked with an "IL" include original illustrations for the book.
- Five Nests (E.P. Dutton, 1980)
- Pets Without Homes (Clarion Books, 1983)
- The Biggest Living Thing (Carolrhoda Books, 1983) IL
- The Terrible Hodag (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989)
- The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers (Boyds Mills Press, 2006)
- A Day and Night in the Forest (PictureWindow Books, 2015) IL
- A Day and Night in the Desert (PictureWindow Books, 2015) IL
- A Day and Night on the Prairie (PictureWindow Books, 2015) IL
- A Day and Night in the Rain Forest (PictureWindow Books, 2015) IL
- A Polar Bear's World (PictureWindow Books, 2010) IL
- A Walrus' World (PictureWindow Books, 2010) IL
- A Bald Eagle's World (PictureWindow Books, 2010) IL
- A Moose's World (PictureWindow Books, 2010) IL
- A Kangaroo's World (PictureWindow Books, 2008) IL
- A Koala's World (PictureWindow Books, 2008) IL
- A Platypus' World(PictureWindow Books, 2008) IL
- A Wombat's World (PictureWindow Books, 2008) IL
- A Panda's World (PictureWindow Books, 2006) IL
- A Penguin's World (PictureWindow Books, 2006) IL
- A Killer Whale's World (PictureWindow Books, 2006) IL
- A Zebra's World (PictureWindow Books, 20o6) IL
- A Walk On the Great Barrier Reef (Carolrhoda Books, 1988)
- Kangaroo (Morrow Junior Books, 1987)
- Australian Animals (Harper Collins, 2000)
- Uluru: Australia's Aboriginal Heart (Clarion, 2003)
- Giant Shark (Clarion, 2000)
- Dinosaurs With Feathers (Clarion, 2001)
- When Mammoths Walked the Earth (Clarion, 2002)
- Pterosaurs (Clarion, 2004)
- Giant Sea Reptiles (Clarion, 2007)
- Global Warming and the Dinosaurs (Clarion, 2009)
- "An Apple A Day," A Story Inspired by Paul Cezanne's Paintings (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) February, 2003.
- Fire for Hire, episode for K-I-D-S series produced by META-4, Broadcast on KCET, Los Angeles, November 1984.
- "The Secret Life of Animals" (Kids Place), Globocop, Newsweek Interactive, 1994.